The Marion County Sheriff’s Office would like the public to be aware of a potential phone scam aimed at elderly individuals.

According to the sheriff’s office, the scam starts with a call from someone claiming to be a grandchild of the person answering the phone. The caller will claim to be away from home and in trouble, and then he or she will ask for money or personal information, such as a credit card number.

The callers are typically persistent and will attempt to confuse the people they have called.

To date, the sheriff’s office has not received any reports of victims locally. If anyone does receive a similar call, they should not give any information or money to the caller.

And if anyone is unsure who is calling, advise him or her to contact the sheriff’s office at 692-3051.